Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the Supreme Court building of Mauritius with his counterpart Pravind Jugnauth via video conference.

The virtual inauguration took place in presence of senior members of judiciary from Mauritius and other dignitaries from both the countries.

After the inauguration of the building, PM Modi said the partnership between India and Mauritius is destined to soar higher in future.

The Prime Minister further said India and Mauritius jointly celebrated yet another landmark on Thursday as a symbol of special friendship between the two countries. “The new Supreme Court Building in Port Louis is a symbol of our cooperation and our shared values,” he said.

He said both India and Mauritius respect their independent judiciaries as important pillars of their democratic systems and that this impressive new building, with its modern design and construction, is a mark of this respect.

In his address, PM Modi further reminded that the two countries had jointly inaugurated the landmark Metro project and a new state-of-the-art hospital a few months back.

“I am happy to know that both these projects are proving useful for the people of Mauritius. It was in Mauritius that I had first spoken about India’s vision of SAGAR – Security and Growth for All in the Region’. This is because Mauritius is at the heart of India’s approach to the Indian Ocean region.”

PM Modi said history has taught us that in the name of development partnerships, nations were forced into dependence partnerships and that it gave rise to colonial rule and rise to global power blocks.

He further stressed that for India, the most fundamental principle in development cooperation is respecting its partners.

“This sharing of development lessons is our only motivation. That is why our development cooperation does not come with any conditions,” the Prime Minister said.

He said India’s development partnerships are diverse from commerce to culture, energy to engineering, health to housing, IT to infrastructure, and sports to science and that India is working with nations across the globe. The Prime Minister added that if India is honoured to help in the Parliament building in Afghanistan, it is also proud to be associated in the making of the Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centre in Niger.

“India is not only proud in helping you, we consider it our privilege to help you create a better future for your youth, your next generation. That is why, training and skilling is such an important part of our development cooperation.”

PM Modi said the future is about sustainable development. “Human needs and aspirations cannot be in conflict with our natural surroundings. That is why, we believe in both human empowerment and care for the environment.”

Based on this philosophy, Modi said, India made efforts to nurture new institutions like the International Solar Alliance.

“Let the rays of the sun brighten the journey of human progress. We are also working on a strong Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi added.

Further, PM Modi also congratulated the Government and people of Mauritius for effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I am happy that India was able to support this effort through timely supplies of medicines and sharing of experiences,” he said.

Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, in his address, thanked his Indian counterpart for “demonstrating once again that Mauritius is very close to his heart.” “I seize this opportunity to convey our solidarity to you, the government and the people of India in these trying times”.

Thanking PM Modi in Hindi, Jugnauth said, “Shri Modi ji, hamara desh, hamari janta aapke samarthan ke liye abhari hai.”

Speaking on the newly inaugurated building, the Mauritian PM said his government invested in the new Supreme Court as the his country’s priorities are guided by fundamental mission of establishing justice.

Invoking PM Modi’s slogan ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas’, Pravind Jugnauth said his government too upholds the same values.

The Supreme Court building has been constructed with Indian grant assistance and will be the first India-assisted infrastructure project within the capital city of Port Louis after COVID-19. The new Supreme Court building project is one of the five projects being implemented under the ‘Special Economic Package’ of US $353 million extended by the Government of India to Mauritius in 2016. The project has been completed within schedule and below expected costs.

The building is spread over an area of more than 4,700 sqm with over 10 floors and a built up area of around 25,000 sqm. The building flaunts a modern design and green features with a focus on thermal and sound insulation and high energy efficiency, the Indian government said in a press release.